


Dreamcatcher's Raid

by OT7nightmares



Series: The Raids [1]
Category: Dreamcatcher (Korea Band), King's Raid (Video Game)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-03
Updated: 2020-01-03
Packaged: 2021-02-27 12:41:28
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 11
Words: 14,478
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22097302
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OT7nightmares/pseuds/OT7nightmares
Summary: A reimaging of King's Raid with Dreamcatcher as the characters. Reuploaded from my tumblrPutting a trigger warning due to graphic depictions of death and fighting
Relationships: Kim Yoohyeon/OC
Series: The Raids [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1590520
Kudos: 6





	1. One

The Kingdom of Araven, located on the largest landmass of the world, has experienced peace for the last two decades. Both crops and merchants thriving along with it. Just over twenty years ago, darkness plagued the kingdom, sending soldiers to die in a war that many thought would end in the kingdom’s destruction. Fortunately, a legend in the kingdom became reality when a peasant farmer discovered the Holy Sword. This farmer took up arms against the darkness, wielding the sword to defeat the creatures it created. After fighting against the darkness, the man disappeared, many presumed he died after defeating the darkness. No one has ever been able to learn the truth, thus creating a new legend; the Legend of Jeonsa. The people of Araven truly thought this legend would remain a legend, but no one really knew that the legend would return.

In capitol of Araven, the royal knights of the kingdom prepare their horses and gather supplies for a long journey. Very few, if any, know what they seek, but all are loyal in their quest. One knight spends her time glaring at her two childhood friends. “I told you before Seung-Yong,” the armored knight says, voice calm but stern. “All squires are being ordered to remain here. It’s just a scouting expedition.” At seeing her squire’s pout, the knight rests her gloved hand on the other’s shoulder. “We’ll be back before you know it.”

The Squire, Seung-Yong, huffs, crossing her arms. “That’s so unfair! I was supposed to take my final test to join the ranks!” She turns her head, looking away from the knight that’s trained her. “Can’t you pull the strings, Jiu-unnie?”

Chuckling at the younger girl’s antics, Jiu playfully pokes her forehead. “Yong, we’ll make sure you get to take the test when I return. We’re only supposed to be gone two weeks…a month at most.” She smirks at seeing a familiar figure sneaking up behind the squire. “Besides, I believe you have someone here who would hate for you to leave.”

Knowing who’s behind her, Seung-Yong, or more commonly known as Yong, turns around to surprise the figure behind her. “Boo!”

“Yah!” the surprised high-pitched scream temporarily deafens Yong. “That’s so not cool! One day I’ll sneak up on you!” The owner of the voice crosses her arms, pouting much like Yong did to Jiu.

“You two really spend too much time together,” the knight mutters, unheard by either of the two younger girls.

“Maybe you shouldn’t scare as easily, Yoohyeonie,” Yong confidently replies.

“I seem to recall someone still enters my room when thunder rumbles,” Yoohyeon offhandedly replies, silver hair braided down, ending at the center of her back.

An embarrassed blush settles over Yong’s cheeks. She stammers out a halfhearted reply. “B-But-Thunder!”

This prompts Jiu and Yoohyeon to laugh at the squire. Jiu speaks up after wiping her tears. “As much as I’d love to listen to you two…I still need to saddle up.” She looks to Yoohyeon. “Keep my squire out of trouble, yeah?” Her eyes turn to Yong. “And you better make sure she doesn’t ditch her studies to spend all day with you.”

“So motherly,” Yong mutters.

“What was that?” Jiu says, playfully reaching for her squire.

“N-Nothing,” Yong replies, turning away from the other’s hands. “Save travels!”

The older knight leaves the two to continue preparing for her journey. Once she’s out of view, Yoohyeon tugs Yong back towards the castle grounds. “Come on, slow poke. You won’t pass your finals if you don’t keep practicing.” She smiles at the squire.

 _Yoo…_ The squire grins. “Last one there is…a rotten egg!” She takes off running before Yoohyeon can realize what’s happening.

“No fair! Cheater!!” To the people nearby, they see two carefree young adults that care very much for each other. They’re not wrong with that assumption.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Weeks pass and there’s still no word on the royal army’s expedition. At first, Yoohyeon figured they ventured further than they intended, but two turned into three weeks…and then a month passed. Between Yoohyeon’s concern and Yong’s fear, the two come to the conclusion that something happened to the army and no one wants to admit that the expedition failed. With no one else going to find answers, the squire and her silver haired friend decide to get answers themselves.

“Are you sure this is such a good idea, Yong? We told Jiu-unnie that we’d stay behind…”

Facing the girl, Yong rests her gloved hands on her shoulders. “I know, but it’s been over a month, Yoo. What if something happened to Jiu-unnie? She might not be related to us by blood, but she’s always treated us like family.” Yong smiles softly, sliding her hands to hold the other’s. “You don’t have to go, Yoo. I’ll be okay by myself.”

Yoohyeon’s eyes widen. “No!” She clears her throat, red creeping onto her cheeks. “I mean…no, Yong. It’s too dangerous alone.” She grabs the other girl’s hands in her own. “We’ve been friends since we were kids, Yong. I won’t let you go alone.”

Nodding, Yong grins. She tugs her friend towards the castle gates. “Then let’s have ourselves an adventure!”

The two leave the castle walls, starting the trek that will certainly be an adventure. One full of danger and worry, but also one of friendships and strength. Neither know what they’re in for, but they do know that they can take it on together. What could go wrong with a mage and soon-to-be knight traveling together?


	2. Two

After Yong and Yoohyeon leave the safe confines of the castle grounds, they walk the entire day before finding a spot to camp at. Yong separates from her childhood friend and searches for something to get a fire going. She collects several short branches and leaves before returning. “This should be enough to get a fire started,” Yong comments, positioning the pieces close enough that they’ll feel warmth.

“I can just start us a fire!” Yoohyeon excitedly moves her open palms over the branches and leaves. She closes her eyes for a second. When they reopen, a spark flashes beneath the stacked wood. In a few moments, the branches are lit with fire, providing warmth to the mage and squire.

“Your magic never ceases to amaze me,” Yong says, smiling at Yoohyeon, who ducks her head to hide her blush.

“Says the one who can dance around with two swords in hand like they weigh nothing,” Yoohyeon recovers enough to reply. This time, Yong blushes.

Before either of them can say anything more, a scream cuts through the silence, save the crackling of the fire. Yong jumps up, eyes scanning her surroundings. She sees two figures in the distance. Yoohyeon stands up, looking at the figures as well. The squire’s hand rests on her sword, ready to fight whoever they are. Yong notices the two figures are being chased by shorter, chunkier figures.

“Goblins,” the squire mutters.

“We need to help them!” Yoohyeon says, stepping forward.

Knowing her friend, Yong nods. She lets the mage use her power to light the area, allowing the two chased figures to see them. Yong rushes forward, darting past the two. She puts herself between the two figures and the goblins. Her sword is raised, body tense for a fight. The goblins, communicating through undistinguishable sounds, pause long enough to talk to themselves before they attack. Yong unsheathes her sword, defending herself against the goblins. They try to surround her, but Yoohyeon sends out balls of fire at the goblins. To the duo’s surprise, the two others join in. One of the other girls, dressed in light armor, pulls her weapon out and notches an arrow. She fires at the goblins that get close to Yong, killing them with perfect shots. Her companion mixes liquids together before throwing them at the goblins farthest away. Small explosions rock the area. In minutes, the remaining goblins flee, leaving their dead comrades behind.

Yoohyeon rushes up to Yong, eyes scan the squire’s form. “Are you hurt?” she asks, concern in her voice.

Shaking her head, Yong smiles at her friend. “I’m fine. You okay?” The blinding smile that’s given as an answer makes the squire lightly blush.

The archer and her companion approach the two. She bows, hand pushing her potion-marker friend into a bow as well. “Thank you for your assistance,” she says.

“Ah, are you both alright?” Yoohyeon asks them, eyes looking for injuries.

“Oh, no, we’re fine!” the potion maker exclaims, eyes turning to the squire. “Are you a knight?”

“Gahyeon,” the archer nudges her friend with a glare.

Yong chuckles. “It’s alright. I’m in line to be a knight, but the Royal Army left before I could be tested.”

Gahyeon’s eyes shine with hope. “I’m looking for my brother, Jae. He’s in the Royal Army as an infantryman. We haven’t heard anything about the expedition since he left.”

Yong frowns, eyebrows furrowed. “Our friend, Jiu, is in the army as well. The Capitol hasn’t released any reports about the expedition so I’m afraid I know nothing either.”

Yoohyeon cuts in. “We’re going after them,” she says, voice strong in conviction.

The archer speaks up next. “Gahyeon and I were doing the same when we ran into those goblins. They ambushed us while we were trying to sleep.”

Yoohyeon looks to Yong, who nods at the unvoiced question in her eyes. The mage looks to the newcomers. “Would you like to travel with us? Four is better than two.”

Gahyeon nods, grinning at her companion. “Dami, we should definitely join them!”

The archer, Dami, shrugs. “I’m Dami, this is Gahyeon,” she introduces themselves. “Please take care of us.” She bows, forcing Gahyeon to do the same.

Yong chuckles, reaching out to get them to lift up. “You don’t need to bow to us.”

“Yeah!” Yoohyeon cheers. “I mean…I’m 21 and Yong is 22. I assume you guys are close to our ages.”

“Dami is 21 too! And I’m 19,” Gahyeon replies.

The squire and mage nod. “Close enough,” Yong shrugs. “Just call me Yong. There’s no need for honorifics around us.” Yoohyeon nods in agreement.

“Okay!” Gahyeon replies.

“We should probably find a new campsite,” Dami says, looking around the flat plains for a better place.

The four decide to go back to the spot Yoohyeon and Yong had. When they get back, the fire is smoking, but has since extinguished. Yong collects more branches and leaves while Dami and Gahyeon help the mage set up blankets to sleep on. As soon as the fire is lit and everyone’s comfortable, the group falls asleep, save Yong. She sits on her blanket, keeping watch for the group. Beside her, Yoohyeon lays on her own blanket, body facing Yong. For several moments, the squire watches her friend peacefully sleep. _I won’t let anyone hurt her. She joined this adventure knowing the risks, but I still have to keep her safe._ Turning her attention back to her surroundings, Yong yawns. _Gonna be a long night._


	3. Three

The quartet continue their journey after waking up. Dami was first awake, having woke up to take over watch for Yong. She was able to find a rabbit for them to cook as breakfast. Once everyone had eaten, they put out the flame and left. They continue their journey across the empty plain, knowing on the other side will be a forest that’ll shield them from the sunlight. Along the way, the group get to know each other.

“So Gahyeon, you said your brother is an infantryman?” Yoohyeon asks to break the silence.

“Yeah!” the youngest replies. “He joined when he turned 18 and he’s 24 now. I asked him if he wanted to train to be a knight, but he said,” she lowers her voice, “I don’t know how they carry those big ass swords.” She laughs at her impersonation of the man.

Dami rolls her eyes despite smiling. “Sang-Hyun sounds just like that too.”

“Jiu used to carry huge baskets of water from the river to the castle as training,” Yoohyeon replies. “When she took Yong as her squire, she made her do the same.” Yoohyeon laughs, looking at her childhood friend. “Remember that one day when you literally tripped because you didn’t want to step on that spider?”

Yong groans. “Don’t even remind me. I swear that thing was pregnant. There was a huge bulge on its back!” She gestures with her hands, mimicking the size. Shuddering, she looks ahead of them. “I don’t do spiders.”

The three other girls laugh. Gahyeon speaks up. “You’re afraid of spiders, really?”

Snapping her attention to the young girl, Yong nods. “Hate them. They creep me out.” She shudders again.

Yoohyeon, taking pity on her friend, wraps her arm through the others. “Anyway! Yong was always a natural fighter, so she picked up on how to fight pretty quickly.”

“I never quite got the hang of shooting an arrow though. I can aim a bow, but somehow, I always get off target so I chose to go the close combat path. Jiu was one of the few that was good at both. She’s a hell of a shot, but prefers to have a sword in her hand,” Yong explains.

“This Jiu…is she the rumored Ace of the Royal Army? Said to be a jack of all trades?” Dami asks.

Yoohyeon nods as Yong answers. “That’s right. She really hates the name though so when we find the army, I wouldn’t mention it.”

“She’s just tell you to call her Jiu anyway,” Yoohyeon adds as they enter the forest that was mentioned before. The light from the sun has since faded, hidden by clouds, sending the forest into night-like darkness.

The conversation lulls for a moment as the group wants to break the silence, but doesn’t exactly want to reveal too much of their personal lives. Luckily, the silence is broken. Unfortunately, it’s broken by the growls of a pack of wolves. The group stops, turning so that they’re back to back. Yellow eyes glare at them through the dark forest.

“They look hungry,” Dami comments.

“Well let’s not become their dinner,” Yong replies before launching at the nearest wolf.

“We can’t kill it!” Gahyeon says as the squire swings her sword to the creature.

“Why not?” Yoohyeon asks, letting her ball of fire go. It hits near one of the wolves, scaring it off.

“They’re probably protecting their pups!” the maknae exclaims. “Our village coexists with them and many times the wolves only attack when their pups are close by. We can’t hurt them for protecting their kids!”

Yong grunts as one of the wolves clamps down on her arm in the gap between her gauntlet and upper arm. She slams the hilt of her sword against it until it lets go. “Then we need to get out of this area!”

Yoohyeon summons her magic, creating a wall of fire to separate her group from the wolves. “Let’s go!”

Leading the way, Yong gets them to the other side of the forest, where the wolves have long since left them alone. She leans against one of the thicker trunks, putting pressure on her wound. “Yoo, do we have anything to wrap this with?” She asks her friend.

Seeing the wound, Yoohyeon rushes to her. “I should be able to heal it so that it stops bleeding. Should’ve stayed long enough to perfect my healing magic.”

Yong moves her uninjured arm to rest her hand against Yoohyeon’s shoulder. “It’s okay. We’ll get back and you can perfect it then!”

Yoohyeon rolls her eyes. “Idiot. Healing magic won’t do much good by then.” She closes her eyes, hand hovering over the bleeding wound. It glows white before fading. Once the light is gone, Yoohyeon opens her eyes to see her healing magic worked and the bleeding has stopped. She pulls a handkerchief from pocket and wraps it around the wound.

“Thank you,” Yong says, staring at Yoohyeon.

Dami clears her throat, breaking the two from their stare. “Should we make camp here for the night? It’s getting late and none of us are in the shape to continue walking.”

The group agrees and sets up camp. Yoohyeon forces Yong to stay at the site while she collects the firewood. Despite trying to argue, the squire stays, feeling her adrenaline fade. She ends up falling asleep with her body leaning against the tree. Yoohyeon finds the squire like that when she comes back to start a fire. Once the blankets are laid out, Yoohyeon wakes Yong up and gets her to lay down. Yoohyeon takes the first watch, using the time to watch Yong get some much-needed sleep.


	4. Four

Yoohyeon cuddles next to Yong, shivering despite the large fire keeping the latter warm. The squire wraps her arms around her friend, trying to share her warmth. They look around the cave, having been in here for almost a day now. “H-How long do you t-think this storm will last?” Yoohyeon asks the group.

Gahyeon and Dami share warmth and their blankets with each other. “Last time I went to look outside, it was picking up so hopefully we can leave by tomorrow,” Dami replies. “We’ll still have to walk through some flurries, but it shouldn’t be this bad by then.”

The mage nods, turning her head so that her face can get warmed by Yong, who has long since accepted her blushing cheeks. “I’ll go check it out again soon.”

Silence settles amongst the group. Gahyeon is the first one to break it. “So Yong, you and Yoohyeon are childhood friends, right?” The squire nods. “How did you meet?”

The two friends look at one another. Yoohyeon speaks up, explaining the story. “Well, I don’t know much about my family, but I was raised in the capitol’s orphanage. They told me that I was dropped off at the front door so no one really knows where I can from.”

“I was taken to the orphanage when I was kid too. They told me that my mother died when I was born, and my father died during battle. Apparently, he was a knight with the Royal Army,” Yong explains.

“We were around the same age so we were schooled together,” Yoohyeon continues. “Jiu was the oldest girl in our room, which consisted of about twelve beds. We had the least amount of girls, only six, but Jiu treated us all like family. The other three girls were adopted, but Jiu, Yong, and I were never adopted so we promised each other that we would be a family. I started to show magic potential when I turned 10 and was trained in it. Jiu left for the army when she turned 16, helping to get us a place to live.”

“A couple years after Jiu joined the army, I did the same. She was already making a name for herself, so they allowed her to take me on as her squire. Though, I couldn’t technically be a squire till I turned 20 so I was still in the infantry, but was assigned to the knights division,” Yong takes her turn to explain.

“Wow,” Gahyeon says. “I’m so sorry you had to go through that. Have either of you learned anything else about your family?”

Both shake their heads. “No, I honestly don’t care to find out,” Yong admits. “I was given my father’s sword when it was discovered who my father was, and that was only because one of his comrades recognized me, said I looked just like him. I kept the sword since I couldn’t afford one.”

Yoohyeon shrugs. “No one knew anything about me so I haven’t looked either.” She frowns. “I wouldn’t even know where to start.”

“I’m sorry, Yoohyeonie,” Gahyeon says with sadness in her tone.

The mage smiles softly. “It’s alright.” She looks at Yong, who stares at the fire. “I’m happy with my life.” She looks forward before the squire can notice the caring gaze.

Dami and Gahyeon, however, have been noticing how Yoohyeon looks at Yong. Both have conversed amongst themselves about it, but don’t feel comfortable talking to the two in question about it. They keep quiet, only sharing a knowing look between then both. With a silence settling through the cave, Yong sighs, pulling away from Yoohyeon.

“I’m going to see if the storm’s died down,” she stretches once standing up. “I’ll be back in a few.” She walks towards the cave entrance, right hand resting comfortably on her sword.

Meanwhile Gahyeon and Dami move over to Yoohyeon, offering her warmth. The youngest playfully nudges the mage. “So are you gonna tell us how you feel about Yong?”

Yoohyeon blushes, avoiding the two pairs of eyes. “T-There’s n-nothing to say.”

“We’re not blind, Yoohyeon. We can see how you look at her,” Dami admits. “We don’t judge you for it. We think you two are adorable.”

“Yeah!” Gahyeon replies. “I totally ship it.”

Yoohyeon can’t help but laugh. She looks at the two companions before sighing. “I’ve always loved Yong,” she says, voice just loud enough that the two can hear her. “But I’ve always been afraid to tell her. I mean we’ve been together since we were kids. We’re basically siblings! And that just…makes me not want to tell her even more. I mean who even falls for their close friend like that?”

Gahyeon lightly pats the girl’s shoulder. “Well, I think Yong looks at you the same way. I’m confident she feels the same. Don’t let your thoughts about the sibling thing ruin what happiness you could have.”

“Gahyeon’s right, Yoohyeon. You both deserve to be happy,” Dami adds, noticing Yong’s returning figure. She raises her voice so the squire can hear. “Everything good, Yong?”

The squire frowns, eyes conflicted. “Well, the blizzard has calmed down, but we’re blocked in. I tried to dig us a way out, but the snow has frozen together.”

“We’re stuck in here?” Gahyeon questions.

“Perhaps,” Yong mutters. She huffs, straightening up. “I might be able to find another way. This cavern appears to go deeper in the mountain so we should be able to find another way out.”

“We’re coming with you,” Yoohyeon says, standing with one of the blankets still wrapped around her. The two others stand in unison, agreeing with the mage.

Together, the four of them use the remainder of their wood to make torches. Yong leads the way, not mentioning how she’s practically being pulled deeper into the cave. _Some kind of force keeps tugging me to the other end of this cave._ She continues through the cave, Yoohyeon directly behind her. Dami covers their rear while Gahyeon follows behind Yoohyeon. It doesn’t take long for the quartet to step into a different part of the cave, which opens up into a large open space. Their eyes scan the area, noticing a large pond expands out from where they stand. Luckily, there’s a walkway in the center. Yong tests its stability before walking along the rocky path. On the other end of the room, she sees a pillar of light, beaming down from a gap in the ceiling. It illuminates enough of the room so that they can see where they’re going.

“Am I the only one that sees a sword sticking out of that rock?” Gahyeon asks, pointing where the pillar touches a large rock…with a sword sticking out of it.

“Uhhh,” Yoohyeon mumbles.

“Is this King Arthur or something?” Dami questions, causing Yong to glance at her. “Have you seriously never read the book about King Arthur?” She doesn’t get an answer. “Amateurs.”

Staring at the sword, Yong doesn’t notice she walks toward it. _Is this what’s been calling me?_ The squire reaches out, ignoring the questions being asked by her comrades. As soon as her hand touches the hilt, she gasps. Images flash across her vision, showing her a peasant farmer who found the sword and vanquished darkness. “The Legend of Jeonsa,” she mutters as the visions fade.

“Yong, are you okay?” Yoohyeon’s voice breaks through the squire’s daze.

Looking at her friend, Yong nods. “I think…” She pauses, eyebrows furrowed. “This is the Holy Sword.”

“What?!” Gahyeon says in shock, hand covering her mouth. “How’s that even possible? I thought that was just a legend?”

“Are you sure, Yong?” Dami asks, much calmer than her companion.

Nodding, Yong tugs at the sword. It easily slides from the rock, shining from the pillar of light. “Yeah. It…When I touched it, I saw Jeonsa. He was…He was real and actually held this sword. This is what stopped the darkness almost two decades ago.”

Before the group can further question finding the sword, the cave starts to shake, rocks dropping from the ceiling. “We’ve got to go!” Dami pushes Gahyeon towards the only other way out in the form of a hallway behind where the sword was. Yong grabs Yoohyeon’s hand, pulling her so that she can grab Gahyeon’s hand. The two run behind Dami while Yong follows last. She doesn’t even realize her tight grip on the Holy Sword until they’ve made it out of the cavern.

The quartet run out into sunlight, breathing heavily as the cave they ran out of just collapses. Gahyeon and Yoohyeon drop to their knees as they take gasps of air. Yong stares at the sword in her hand while Dami looks around at their surroundings. The archer is the first to speak up. “It’s still daylight…anyone up to continue walking?”

Gahyeon and Yoohyeon groan but get up anyway. The latter notices the squire’s attention. She reaches out, lightly holding the other’s free hand. “Yong, if this is the Holy Sword…”

Yong looks up, eyes seemingly glowing. “It is,” she says. “It’s…It’s kind of talking to me. Not like me and you are, but it…I don’t know how to explain it, Yoo, but this is definitely the Holy Sword.” She frowns, looking back at the sword. “And it’s telling me I’m to be the next Warrior of Light.” Three pairs of eyes look at the squire in shock. None of them know what to say as the squire stares at the sword. None of them notice the white ring that now surrounds Yong’s blue irises.


	5. Five

After escaping the cave and finding the Holy Sword, the four adventurers continued on their way. They were able to get out of the snowy mountain range and down to a more civilized area. Yoohyeon proposes they stop at the next town and get two rooms at an Inn. The vote is unanimous, and the quartet’s pace picks up. Just after sunset, the group enters a bustling town. They enter the nearest Inn, which also happens to be a rowdy tavern, and pay for two rooms.

“We’re going to check out the room and then come eat,” Yong says after a short conversation with Yoohyeon, who yawns widely.

“We’ll probably do the same. That is…if Gahyeonie doesn’t fall asleep,” Dami replies, playfully poking her friend.

“Hey! We’ve been walking for hours…I’m so tired!”

The archer walks upstairs with her friend, leaving the two childhood friends alone. “Mmmm, Yong…carry meeee,” the mage whines.

Rolling her eyes, Yong turns around, gesturing to her back. The mage jumps onto the squire’s back. Despite the armor, the younger of the two finds it comfortable. She dozes off before Yong even gets to the stairs. Once finding their room, she opens the door and lets Yoohyeon drop onto one of the beds. She shuts the door and starts unlatching her armor. To her surprise, a pair of hands help her.

“Yoohyeon, you can sleep a little longer,” Yong says, facing her friend, who is much closer than she thought.

The mage shakes her head. “I’m fine,” she mutters, focusing on getting the armor pieces off her friend. “You’ve been stuck in this armor since we left home.”

“I’m okay. You know I’ve gotten used to wearing it for long periods of time.”

“Yeah, I know, but now you don’t have to!” She grins at the squire. “Come on. We should go eat and then come back to rest. Who knows when we’ll find another place to sleep that isn’t outside.”

Chuckling, Yong unties her sword from her waist. She looks at the Holy Sword, which for some odd reason could attach to her armor without a sheath. It was taken off first and put to the side. Shaking her head, she follows Yoohyeon out the door. They meet up with Gahyeon and Dami downstairs. The two already ordered some food and beer, snagging one of the last tables as well. Yong and Yoohyeon join them, with the latter sipping on her own beer. The squire opts to stay sober while her friends enjoy themselves. _I suppose Gahyeon and Dami are my friends now. We’ve definitely been through some shit._

The night uneventfully continues on. Yoohyeon cuts herself off after two beers, as does Gahyeon. Dami, a heavyweight, stops after her fourth tankard. They finish their meal and joke around for a while. Dami and Gahyeon retire not long after that, leaving Yong and Yoohyeon to themselves. The two childhood friends prepare to leave when Yong notices a woman with bright orange hair watching them. _She’s been watching us all night_. Once Yong gets Yoohyeon upstairs, the girl passes out on her bed. This allows Yong to go back downstairs and confront the orange haired woman. However, upon reaching the tavern, she finds the woman no longer there. Frowning, she retreats back to her room, not realizing the woman was also staying at the same Inn.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The next morning, Yong goes downstairs while Yoohyeon is still asleep. As soon as she enters the tavern, she spots the orange haired woman, who immediately looks at the squire. She waves the armored girl over. Yong frowns, but approaches the woman dressed in clothing that could easily buy several suits of armor. Sitting across from the noble, she bows her head in respect.

“There’s no need for that,” the woman replies. “I am not here as nobility.”

“Then why are you here and why have you been watching us?” Yong immediately questions.

The woman chuckles, covering her mouth with her hand. Yong notices her eyes do a similar eye-smile that Yoohyeon’s eyes do. “Let me introduce myself…I am Handong of Chindrae,” she bows to the squire. “My people…specifically nobles have a…” She trails off, thinking of the correct word. “Ah, a connection to your kingdom.” Pausing, she places her hand on the table, palm up. Purple smoke floats up from her hand. She closes her fist, causing it to vanish.

“So you’re a mage?”

“That’s the closest to what your people call it, yes. Each of the nobility are born with a different…magic element. I have control over smoke while my mother had control over water,” Handong explains. She quickly shakes her head. “But I can explain that later…Right now…” She looks at the squire’s shoulder, where the Holy Sword’s hilt can be seen. “You must become the Warrior of Light.” Her voice is low so that no one can hear them.

Yong frowns. “I don’t want to. I’m just a squire who has yet to take her test to become a full knight. There’s got to be someone more qualified!”

“I understand your hesitancy, but the Sword chooses who it deems worthy…and that’s you.”

The squire frowns. “I…I can’t become the Warrior. I just want to find my friend and make sure she’s safe.”

Handong sighs. “Then I will accompany on your journey. It is my destiny to guide the Warrior as it is yours to become the Warrior.”

“Yong!” Yoohyeon’s shout breaks the two’s conversation. She stops next to her friend, glaring at the orange haired woman.

Sighing, Yong gestures to the…royal. “This is Handong of Chindrae. She has requested to join us in our journey.” Looking at the orange haired woman, she nods. “To which I’ve accepted and was just about to consult you and the others.” She peeks around Yoohyeon to see a yawning Gahyeon and alert Dami.

“I’m fine with that,” Dami replies.

“Yeah!” Gahyeon cuts in after she finishes yawning. “The more the merrier.” She bows to the woman. “My name is Gahyeon and this is Dami.”

Handong nods, smiling softly. “A pleasure to meet you both.”

Yoohyeon crosses her arms, not hiding her jealously very well. “Fine,” she says after Gahyeon nudges her arm. Turning away, she leaves the tavern.

Sighing, Yong looks to Handong. “Please excuse me.” She looks to the archer and potion-maker. “Will you order us some food? I’ll be back with her in a minute.” They nod, sitting across from Handong. Gahyeon’s bubbly personality easily breaks through the noble’s walls while Dami listens with a smile.

Rushing out of the door, Yong finds Yoohyeon standing by the road. She walks to her, quietly standing beside her. Patiently, she waits till the other girl starts to talk. It doesn’t take long. “So now we’re gonna let her join? Is it cause she’s pretty?” Yoohyeon angrily questions, facing her friend.

Yong tilts her head. _Is she…_ “Yoo, are you jealous?”

The mage sputters. “N-No! I’m just-I’m just saying!”

Yong covers her mouth, poorly hiding her laughter. “Yoo! She knows we found the Holy Sword. That’s why she approached me. She wants me to become the Warrior of Light, but I told her I don’t want to.”

“Then why is she coming with us?” Yoohyeon replies, reaching for her friend’s hand as a comfort.

Yong shrugs, holding the mage’s hands. “She said it’s her destiny to guide the Warrior.”

“Is it your destiny to be the Warrior?” Yoohyeon questions, proving that as ditzy as she acts…she’s perceptive, except when it comes to Yong’s feelings for her.

The squire sighs, closing her eyes. “According to her…yeah.”

“Then we need to find Jiu and the army. I heard some rumors last night…Apparently, they came through here about a week after they left the capitol. I also heard that they’re at the Life Tree, defending it from the Demon army.”

Yong’s eyes widen. “The Demon army? I thought the darkness was wiped out?”

Yoohyeon shrugs. “I thought so too. These are just rumors, Yong. I don’t know if there’s any truth to them.”

“Still, I’m sure the army came through here. Especially if they mentioned it. I mean…why would you lie about the amount of money that just went through your town?” Yoohyeon smiles, nodding in agreement.

The duo returns to the tavern, joining in the meal. It passes in silence, but once the, now, quintet leaves the tavern and are forced to communicate, well things pick up. The group finds their new addition to be a funny savage, joking with them and laughing at the puns that are made. Their trip passes quickly as the five get along, seemingly making the distance pass just as quickly.


	6. Six

After leaving the town with the Tavern, they come across more and more towns of a similar size. After walking for several more days, stopping at night in the towns, they come across a horrible sight. Yong doesn’t waste a moment in attacking the bandits that plague the next town ahead of them. She doesn’t kill them but does make sure they can’t get up. Dami joins in, firing arrow after arrow, while Gahyeon and Handong help get the townspeople to safety. Yoohyeon uses her magic to put out the fires that threaten the village.

The bandits flee after losing half their numbers. They manage to get some of their unconscious members out, but Yong does her best to chase them off. By the time the bandits are completely gone, the townspeople clap, profusely thanking the travelers for running the bandits off. One of the leaders, Chief he calls himself, offers them gold to raid the bandit’s hideout. With their funds low, the quintet agrees. After receiving a large meal from the townspeople, despite the group’s argument, they leave the town and search for the bandit’s hideout nearby. With accurate information from several townspeople, they find it with ease. Yong gestures to the guards around the perimeter.

“We should try to take them out first so they can’t ambush us. Then we can get inside. Handong, do you think you could smoke them out of their tents once we enter the fence?” Yong plans.

“Of course,” the noble replies.

“Good. Dami, stay out here and pick off any who flee. Gahyeon, think you can cover her if she needs it?” The two in question nod. Yong smiles, looking to Yoohyeon. “Yoo, we’re gonna go in there and take out the fighters. Got my back?”

Nodding, the mage gives the squire her signature eye-smile. “Of course!”

The quintet works together to take out the roaming guards. Once they’re down, Handong uses her power over smoke to get the bandits to exit their tents. Yong pulls her sword free, leaving the Holy Sword on her back. She easily dispatches the bandits that attack her while Yoohyeon keeps the squire from getting surrounded. Dami picks off the few that try to flee while Gahyeon makes sure her friend doesn’t get ambushed. The bandits are defeated in no time. Their treasures are broken into and left for the villagers, who enter the hideout once word gets to them. While they raid the area, the village Chief thanks the girls.

“Is there anything else we can get for you before you continue on your journey?”

“We’re fine. Thank you for your hospitality,” Yong replies.

“Chief!” A scared voice yells. All eyes turn to a young man as he holds his bleeding arm. His dagger is held between his chest and forearm as well.

“What happened?”

“T-There’s a savage wolf locked in a cage. It tried to eat me!” the man yells.

Yong looks at Gahyeon, who immediately takes off when she hears a pained whine. She chases after the potion-maker. They turn past one of the tents, only to see several of the villagers trying to poke the wolf through its cage. “Stop!” Yong yells, voice strong and authoritative. She sees one other young male ignore her, so she walks up to him, grabs his spear, and snaps it in half. Leaning closer to his face, she uses her other hand to grab the front of his shirt. “Were you poking this wolf when he was bit?” She asks, voice loud enough for everyone to hear.

“I-It a-attacked me! Does it matter?” the injured man from before retorts.

Turning to face him, Yong lets go of the other man. “Yes, because if you did, I’m gonna poke the fuck out of you with this spear,” Yong replies, lifting up the broken spear in her grasp.

“Ah, young knight, if I may-“

Yong glares at the village Chief. “No offense, sir, but I will be releasing this wolf and If anyone,” she glares at the ones who were poking the creature, “Try to harm it…I’ll make sure you never think twice about doing the same again.” Her eyes notice the young men nod, swallowing heavily. Turning to the wolf, she tosses the spear aside and sheathes her sword. She grabs the lock, breaking it off. “It’s alright, my friend,” Yong addresses the wolf, who growls at the squire.

“Yong…” Yoohyeon says in concern.

The squire hears her but doesn’t address the mage. Her attention is solely on the wolf. “We’re not gonna hurt you,” Yong says. “I’m not gonna let them hurt you again.” The wolf hesitates, but inches forward. It doesn’t take its eyes off Yong, who notice the creature doesn’t have the typical yellow eyes that most wild wolves have. _This wolf has beautiful chocolate brown eyes._ “Here,” Yong says, fully opening the cage and moving so the creature can run out. As if sensing its freedom, the wolf darts out, scaring the idiot men. Yong moves before anyone can see her. She grabs the one man who tried to grab a spear. Her head turns to the wolf, who positioned itself to fight the man. “Go ahead,” she says to the wolf, keeping the man in her grasp. The wolf nods its head before running off into the woods.

“Yong,” Gahyeon says, tears in her eyes. “Thank you for making sure she got free.”

“How’d you know it was a she?” Handong asks the maknae.

“Oh, my village was coinhabited by wolf shapeshifters. They protected us and we treated them like another villager,” Gahyeon explains. “I guess you could say I was friends with many of them.”

Yong turns to the young men who tried instigating the wolf’s aggression. “Just a word of advice,” she says to them. “Fighting should never be the answer. Compassion and kindness can end a war much quicker than killing them all.” She glares at the injured one. “I’m not saying that wolf wouldn’t have attacked after being held captive, but you didn’t give her a chance.” Walking to the cage, she pulls her sword free and cuts it apart. Once done, she walks past her comrades, who follow behind her.

The quintet leaves the bandits’ hideout and continue their journey. As they walk the dirt path, Yoohyeon catches up to her friend. “That was awesome, Yong. How’d you know the wolf wouldn’t attack you?”

Yong chuckles, looking at her childhood friend. “I didn’t, but I could tell she was scared. I mean…boys will be boys, yeah? I figured they kept trying to instigate it. Remember when I first became Jiu’s squire?”

Yoohyeon laughs, explaining to the other’s what happened. “When it was announced that Yong was gonna be trained by Jiu, all the boys were jealous cause they wanted a shot to get close to Jiu. So, they proceeded to call Yong every possible derogatory name so that she’d give up.” Yoohyeon proudly smiles at her friend. “But Yong never let it get to her. She would train harder so that when it came time to spar with them…she would win fair and square.”

“That’s so cheesy,” Gahyeon replies. “No wonder you’re supposed to be the Warrior of Light.”

“The Holy Sword chooses wielders who are worthy of its power,” Handong replies. “It has known of your worthiness since you were born.”

Yong blushes. “It’s really nothing. I just…I mean I guess it’s just who I am.”

The walk is suddenly interrupted by a woman walking out of the trees. She looks at the quintet with a smirk. Her clothes are more revealing than expected. Shorts that are definitely too short and a lowcut shirt cover her form. She speaks up with in low, seductive voice. “Well, well, must be my lucky day to get such beautiful travelers this far from the village.”

Yong frowns. “I do apologize for my rudeness, but who are you?”

“Ah, so forward,” the woman walks to Yong, running her finger along the squire’s cheekbones. “Why don’t you ditch your little group and come with me?”

Yoohyeon smacks the shorter woman’s hand away. “Get away from her,” she says, voice angered.

“Feisty,” the shorter one says. A howl in the distance causes the scantily dressed woman to gasp. She steps back from the squire and her group. Just as she does, the wolf from before tackles her. “Siyeon!” She says with unadulterated joy. Wrapping her arms around the wolf’s neck, she presses her lips the creature’s forehead. “I’ve been so worried about you!”

“Uhhhh,” Yoohyeon points to the two. “Is that the same wolf Yong just…?”

“Stop those idiot village boys from killing? Yes,” Gahyeon replies.

This prompts the scantily dressed woman to stop her affectionate kisses and look at the squire. “You saved Siyeonie?”

“Uhh, if you mean Siyeon is the wolf, then yes,” Yoohyeon says. “The village was trying to provoke her into attacking, but Yong made them stop.”

Before anyone else can say more, the wolf grunts, fur disappearing as bones crack. In seconds, the wolf is gone and there stands a woman with shoulder length blue hair. She hides her body behind the shorter woman, waving from her place. “Ah, I wanted to thank you for that.”

“You’re a shifter!” Gahyeon exclaims. As if muscle memory, she pulls one of the blankets from her bag and tosses it to the two newcomers.

The wolf-shifter, Siyeon, catches the blanket and wraps it around herself. “Thank you, and yes I am. How do you know about that?”

“Her village was shared with shifters,” Dami quickly answers.

Siyeon smiles widely. “That’s so cool! My village was like that before…” she trails off, frowning. Her companion hugs her tightly. She shakes her head of whatever was bothering her and puts a smile back on her face. “Anyway, this is Sua, she’s a succubus and I’m Siyeon as you probably now know.”

“A pleasure,” Yong greets with a bow. “My name is Yong. This is my childhood friend, Yoohyeon. Dami, Gahyeon, and Handong, who have all joined us on our journey.”

Siyeon grins, voice full of interest. “Ooohhh, where are you going? We’ve been traveling by ourselves for a while. Sua found me after I escaped captivity.” At that, Gahyeon frowns, angered at whoever kept Siyeon in captivity like the bandits.

Sua speaks up, still holding onto the wolf-shifter. “Siyeonie, are you sure we can trust them? What if they’re just like Them?”

The short-haired girl smiles. “They’re not. I have a good feeling from them.”

Yoohyeon smiles at the shifter, who smiles back. Yong glances at Handong when the noble speaks up. “We’re going to find the royal army. A member of Yong’s family is a knight and the army has not been heard from in over a month.”

Gahyeon nods, lifting her hand in the air. “And! My brother is an infantryman. So, I’m worried about him.”

“So why are you two…Handong and Dami, was it? Why are you on this journey?”

“Gahyeon’s my friend and I’ve always wanted to travel,” the archer shrugs in reply.

“I am from Chindrae and have traveled here to assist the next Warrior of Light, Yong,” Handong replies despite Yong trying to stop her.

Sua and Siyeon stare at the squire in surprise. “Wait…as in Legend of Jeonsa, Warrior of Light?” the former questions, earning a nod from the squire. “Woah. I didn’t think anyone would ever find the sword again.”

“Again?” Yoohyeon questions.

Sua nods. “Yeah. I didn’t fight with the royal army, but I did meet the farmer that found it almost twenty years ago. Nice dude. A lot like you seem to be, Yong.” She glances at Siyeon, who seemingly has a wordless conversation with her. The succubus looks back at the quintet. “If you would allow us, we’d like to join you on your journey too.”

“I’m game,” Gahyeon says. Dami and Handong nod in agreement.

Yoohyeon shrugs. “What was it you said before Gahyeon? The more the merrier?” The maknae nods, grinning.

Six sets of eyes look at Yong, who chuckles. “Well, even if I said no, I’m outvoted. Not that I was going to.” She looks at the shifter and succubus. “Welcome to the group.”

“We need a name,” Siyeon says, prompting Gahyeon to shout “Yes!”.

Sua grins. “Something cool. Like Sua’s Badass Club.”

“Definitely not,” Dami says.

“What about…Dreamcatcher?” Handong suggests.

Yoohyeon claps. “Yes! I love it!”

The squire nods. “Sure, but we’re only calling ourselves that when we find Jiu.”

“Boo, but okay,” Siyeon says.

The group, now seven, make their way away from the spot they met at. Despite just meeting Siyeon and Sua, the group talks as if they’ve all known each other for years. Handong continues her savagery, surprising Sua and Siyeon at how the noble could be so…well, savage. The group enjoy their journey as they walk, unaware of how things will soon change.


	7. Seven

The Life Tree is a massive tree that can be seen from miles away. Very few ever get the chance to see it, so when the seven adventurers spot it from their location, they stop and look at it in awe. Nothing is said, nor does it need to be. The tree itself looks like any other tree on the planet, but its sheer size is something nothing else has ever reached. It’s never been measured, but it can be seen from several hours walk away. Once getting over their awe, the group continues, walking down into a valley. Their pace picks up when Yong spots the Royal Army’s banners.

“We found them!” the squire shouts, grabbing Yoohyeon’s hand and running down the hill.

Behind them, Gahyeon pulls Dami after the two. Handong, Sua, and Siyeon pick up their pace, but don’t bother running. “Well, this isn’t what I expected,” the succubus mentions.

“How so?” Handong questions.

Pointing to the Life Tree’s base, which is should be visible this time of day, the trio notices how dark it looks. “Something big has been going down here. I don’t think the Royal Army came equipped for it.” She gestures to the graves on the hillside.

Siyeon growls lowly. “We should hurry to get to the others. I know they’re excited see their family, but…something doesn’t feel right.” The wolf-shifter shudders.

Meanwhile, Yong and Yoohyeon stumble at the bottom of the hill. They walk through the camp, eyes searching. The squire knows what Jiu’s tent looks like, having spent many trips in her own cot in the tent. She looks back and forth, eyes scanning. Behind her and Yoohyeon, Gahyeon searches for any familiar infantrymen. She doesn’t spot any but doesn’t give up hope.

Word spreads quickly of their arrival. It wasn’t announced, but many of the knights that spot Yong spread the word to Jiu. By the time the squire finds her knight’s tent, said knight is already outside with her arms crossed. Yong and Yoohyeon swallow at seeing the anger on Jiu’s face.

“My tent. Now,” the knight says, voice full of authority and anger. Quickly, the mage and squire scramble into the tent, leaving Gahyeon and Dami to wait for their three friends.

As soon as the two are in the tent, Jiu drops her commander face and pulls them both into a hug. “Uhh,” Yoohyeon mumbles in shock.

“You two are idiots for coming, but I’m glad to see you,” Jiu says, one arm around each of the other two. She pulls away after a moment, wiping her eyes. “What-How are you both here?”

Yoohyeon looks at Yong, who explains. “Well, when a month passed, and we didn’t hear anything from you…” she looks down. A deep breath releases from her mouth. Looking back at Jiu, she continues. “We thought something bad had happened, so we decided to come find you.”

“Along the way, we met some others that wanted to come with us. Lee Gahyeon’s brother in an infantryman and she hadn’t heard from him either so she, along with her friend Dami, joined us. Handong…” Yoohyeon trails off, glancing at the sword on Yong’s back.

The squire picks up the story. “Handong is a noble from Chindrae. She’s a guide for the Holy Sword,” Yong explains pointing at the sword. “And…I’ve been chosen as the Warrior.”

Jiu’s eyes widen. “You-It’s real?”

Yong nods. “Yeah. We didn’t believe it at first. I honestly haven’t tried to use it, but I can feel it’s power.” She sighs. “I really just wanted to find you, Jiu. I don’t want to be this Warrior of Light.”

The knight rests her hands on her squire’s shoulders. She smiles when their eyes meet. “If you don’t want to, then don’t.” She chuckles at the squire’s shocked expression. “I can’t think of anyone more qualified, but only if it’s something you want to do.”

Nodding, Yong shrugs. “I…I don’t know.”

“That’s okay. You don’t have to know. It’s a big responsibility, Yong,” Jiu replies.

The squire groans. “Fiiine.”

Together, the trio laugh. “I’m so happy to see you both,” Jiu says, closing her eyes for a moment. When she reopens them, her squire and the mage can see how tired she is.

“What’s the situation here, Jiu?” Yong asks, already shifting into her professional self.

Jiu sighs, walking over to a map of the Life Tree. “Not good. We came to check out the Life Tree amidst conflicting reports of Demons attacking it. When we got here, they weren’t attacking it, but had a massive army here. Once we set up camp, they attacked us. We’ve been fighting to survive ever since. I don’t think any messengers have made it out of the valley.”

“How can we help?” A new voice says, surprising the three. Siyeon walks in with Sua, Handong, Dami, and Gahyeon.

Jiu looks at the smiles on her friend’s faces. She looks at the five and nods. “We can use all the help we can get. Right now…the general is meeting with his other commanders and planning an attack. I left when I heard of your arrival.” She walks around the table, waving them to follow. “They’ll welcome the help so let’s go make some introductions.”

The eight leave Jiu’s tent and walk past several more before reaching the largest tent in the army. Upon entering, Jiu grasps the general’s arm in greeting. She introductions Yong’s group before pointing out each commander. Once finished, the general addresses the group. “As much as I hate to bring in civilians for this…you’ve all made it this far so that speaks for itself.” He sighs heavily. “We’re planning to launch a full-scale assault on the demon’s camp. We’ve tried to defend ourselves in little skirmishes, but each loss has moved the demons closer to the tree.” He looks to Yong, who Jiu explained holds the Holy Sword. “I understand you’re reluctant to be the Warrior of Light, Seung-Yong, but we need your help.” He looks to all the girls. “We need all of your help.”

Yong glances at her friends. Each nod at her, eyes displaying determination. She looks at the general. “We’re in, sir. Just tell us what you want us to do.”


	8. Eight

Over the next several hours, the General goes over a new plan now that Yong and her friends are there. By the time the meeting is over, the general, commanders, and Yong’s group are exhausted. This prompts a small celebration, mainly to boost the army’s moral, to occur. Yong sits with Jiu, Handong, and Dami while Yoohyeon, Sua, Siyeon, and Gahyeon dance to the army’s band.

“You know, I didn’t know the army had a band,” Dami admits.

Jiu chuckles. “Yeah. It’s pretty informal, mostly infantrymen who know how to play the instruments.”

“Your culture is very different from mine,” Handong comments. “Though…I do like it here. Even among the threat of demons.”

Yong chuckles, feeling Jiu lean against her. _Jiu’s gonna have a hell of a hangover tomorrow._ “You’ll have to come to the Mitral festival. It’s basically a hug drinking party in Mitral, which is about a day’s trip south of the capitol.”

Handong’s eyes flash with interest. Before she can reply, Yoohyeon stumbles over and grabs Yong’s hands. “YONG, LETS DANCE!” She shouts despite being right next to the squire. Dami cringes, covering her ear in response.

Jiu jumps up, stumbling into Handong. “COME ON EVERYONE. LET’S DANCE!” Without giving the noble a chance to decline, the knight drags her to where Sua and Siyeon are dancing.

As Yong is pulled away, she hears Dami comment to Gahyeon, who stumbled over with Yoohyeon. “The succubus and wolf are awfully close.”

Shaking her head, Yong focuses on her childhood friend, who starts dancing with the squire, not noticing how close they are. With her inhibition gone from the alcohol, Yong steps closer to the mage. They dance without a care in the world, stumbling into each other but giggling at the actions. By the time four songs are played, the two are hanging all over each other as they walk back to their seats. Jiu and Handong returned after two songs while Sua and Siyeon collapsed just after the first of the four songs. Gahyeon and Dami went to dance just before the last song.

Yong sits down, letting Yoohyeon collapse onto her lap. “That was soooo muuuch fuuun,” the mage drags out.

Jiu bobs her head in agreement. “I don’t think we’ve partied like this since Yong officially became eligible to take the knight test.” The squire nods, fingers sliding through the mage’s messy hair. Sua and Siyeon, who lifts her head form the succubus’ lap, look at the mage and squire. The two shake their heads, softly whispering about the two. Jiu suddenly sits up from leaning against Handong. “Yong! Let’s go get more drinks!”

Yoohyeon groans. “Noooo,” she wraps her arms around Yong’s waist. “Don’t take my pillow away.”

Laughing, the squire carefully pulls the mage’s arms from around her. “We’ll only be gone a few minutes.”

Yoohyeon sits up, turning away from the squire with a pout. “Hurry up,” she says once the two have stood up.

Jiu and Yong stumble over to the barrel of ale. While the squire pours the alcohol, Jiu speaks up. “When are you gonna admit you love ‘er,” she says to the other.

Yong gasps, nearly dropping the full bottle. She glares at Jiu, only for the two to dissolve into laughter. She wipes her eyes and shrugs. “I don’t want things ta change ‘tween us. Yoohyeon is…is so important to me and yeah, I do…love her.” The squire’s eyes widen. “It feels good to admit out loud.”

“Soooo, you should tell heerrrrr,” Jiu grabs one of the cups and sips on the drink. She frowns, spitting it back in the cup. “Not this. This the cheap stuff they pull out at the end.”

Yong cringes in disgust. She leaves the three cups next to the barrel and walks back with Jiu. Before they get close, the squire mutters to her friend. “I don’t want to lose her.”

Jiu, despite being drunk, replies without a hint of being inebriated. “You won’t, Yong.”

The duo returns to their group, only to find Siyeon, Gahyeon, and Yoohyeon passed out on the ground. Shaking their heads, they move to help the three up. Yong slides her arms under Yoohyeon, carrying the mage like a bride. She totally doesn’t glare at Sua, who makes the comment “when’s the wedding?” The succubus manages to wake the wolf up and stumble off to their own tent, provided by the army. Handong helps Dami get Gahyeon up and walk them back to their tent. Jiu goes with, intending to offer the spare cot in her tent for the noble. Yong carries Yoohyeon to their own tent, which was Yong’s when she was in training. It’s barely big enough for the two, but Yong makes it work once Yoohyeon is laid inside.

Once out of her armor and inside the tent, Yong lays next to the mage, who immediately cuddles against the squire. “Th’n’s…Yong,” the mage mutters.

“Anytime,” Yong replies, wrapping her arm around Yoohyeon.


	9. Nine

The next morning, everyone’s woken up by a loud horn. Yong jolts awake, recognizing it as the horn that’s blown when an attack is happening. _Piri. Uh oh._ Beside her, Yoohyeon groans. The squire jumps up, quickly getting into her armor. “Yoohyeon, wake up,” she quickly says.

“Five…more…minutes,” the mage mumbles.

Kneeling, Yong lightly pats the girl’s cheeks. “Not now, Yoo. We’re under attack!”

This finally gets the mage to open her eyes. It takes a second for what Yong said to sink in. She sits up, reaching for the squire’s hands. “What? By who?” Yoohyeon asks as Yong pulls her up by the offered hands.

“Not sure. Come on,” the Warrior of Light grabs the Holy Sword as they exit the tent.

As soon as they exit, chaos is everywhere. Infantrymen scramble to get weapons while commanders, already in their gear, rush to their places. Yong grabs Yoohyeon’s hand and runs with her to Jiu’s tent. Upon arriving, the knight rushes out with Handong behind her. Neither question why the noble was there, instead focusing on the attack.

“Who’s attacking us?” Jiu asks.

“No clue,” Yong replies.

As if on cue, Sua, Siyeon, Dami, and Gahyeon rush into view. Siyeon, having heard the question thanks to her wolf senses, answers. “Demons. I heard one of the guards on watch say the Demon Lord is attacking the Life Tree with his forces. The horn was blown to get everyone there.”

Jiu nods in thanks. “We need to get to the general’s tent.”

Leading the way, the knight sprints to the leader’s tent. Before even entering, they can hear the general barking off orders. “We need to flank them, draw their forces away from the Tree!” He looks at Jiu on her group’s entrance. “Ah, good. Commander Kim, I want you to lead your platoon to the right flank, pulling them away from the tree.” He looks to Yong. “Warrior of Light,” he addresses, tone final. “You’re the only one that can take on the Demon Lord.” He frowns. “You’re going to need to get to the center. I’ll be leading a platoon head on. You’ll be with me.” He looks to her friends. “Sua, Siyeon, I want you to go with the left flank. Commander Kwon will be leading that one. Gahyeon, Handong, you’ll be with Commander Kim. Dami, Yoohyeon, and Yong…we’ll be down the center.”

With the orders given, the commanders leave the tent. Sua and Siyeon hug their newfound friends. “Be safe out there,” Siyeon says to them. “Yong, you can do this.”

“Shi’s right,” Sua says. “You all better come back to this camp when it’s over with.” They leave the tent.

Gahyeon and Handong give hugs. The youngest smiles despite the fear in her eyes. “I’ve been stockpiling a lot of potions. Now’s a good a time as any to use them.”

“I hope to see you all again soon,” Handong says.

Dami hugs Gahyeon. “You better make sure to come back when this is done.”

“I should say the same to you,” the maknae retorts to her friend.

Yong hugs the two after Yoohyeon. “Please be safe…and watch out for Jiu for us too.”

“Of course,” Handong replies.

Once Gahyeon and Handong have left, Yong, Yoohyeon, and Dami follow. They join up with the General’s platoon. Once in position, the battle begins. Yong rushes the demons, fighting them with her normal sword. She doesn’t unsheathe the Holy Sword, knowing its power only last so long, thanks to it sharing that with her when she first pulled it from the rock. Her movements seem erratic and uncaring to the infantrymen, but she knows that Yoohyeon and Dami have her back. As sad as she is when she hears the cry of a soldier’s death, she fights on, pushing through and turning that sadness to anger. _They want the Life Tree? They have to go through me._

The General’s plan works in dividing the demon army. It’s split into four parts, the left flank, right flank, center, and the tree. While the Life Tree is still being attacked, the army is split so that its ranks diminish. After over an hour of fighting, the General’s center flank breaks through to the Demon Lord and his demons. The leader of the Royal Army yells, boosting his men’s moral.

“Warrior, now’s your chance!”

Yoohyeon launches an attack in front of Yong, allowing the squire to break the last line of defense. Her eyes land on the Demon Lord. She sees several demons rush at her. Her sword tears through them, cutting off the creatures’ limbs. The last one to attack receives her sword in its chest. She pulls the Holy Sword from its place on the back of her armor.

The Demon Lord summons an identical sword, but its blade is black with smoke emitting off of it. Yong and the Demon Lord cross swords, fighting each other as the battle continues to rage around them. “You’re stronger than I expected, Seung-Yong,” the Demon Lord says.

“How do you know my name?” Yong asks the next time their swords spark against the others’.

The Demon Lord pushes her back, switching the sword to his left hand. He attacks again, answering her. “Let’s just say I knew your father.”

With the vague answer, Yong lifts her armored leg up and kicks the Demon Lord. He stumbles back, surprised at the attack. “I don’t care if you knew him…I’m going to stop you.”

Meanwhile, the Demon Lord’s forces have been defeated, leaving only the Demon Lord. Due to the amount of darkness in the Demon Lord, only the Warrior of Light can handle being close enough to fight him. Yoohyeon holds on to Jiu while they watch the battle. Gahyeon grips onto Dami’s right hand and Handong’s left. Sua and Siyeon hold each other, fearing for their friend. The General watches, teeth clenched in anger that he can do nothing but leave the fate of the world on a squire’s shoulders.

The Demon Lord proves to be stronger than Yong, but she holds her own. It isn’t until Yoohyeon cries out at Yong that the Demon Lord pauses, looking at the mage. With this distraction, Yong drives the Holy Sword into the Demon Lord’s chest. He gasps, dropping his sword and relaxing against the squire.

“You got distracted,” Yong states.

The darkness recedes from the Demon Lord, revealing the peasant farmer who once wielded the Holy Sword. “Thank you for freeing me,” the man says, looking at Yoohyeon. “And allowing me to see my daughter.”

Following his gaze, Yong gasps. “I just killed Yoo’s father,” she mutters.

In her shocked state, Yong doesn’t notice the last remaining darkness in the man consume him. With the Demon Lord’s last bit of power, he thrusts his blade into Yong’s chest. The squire gasps, letting go of the Holy Sword. She stumbles back as the Demon Lord collapses, body disappearing into smoke. Stumbling back, Yong looks down at her chest, unaware of the screams that come from Yoohyeon. She touches the wound in shock, feeling her own blood slip through her fingers. Her legs give out, sending her crashing to the ground.


	10. Ten

As soon as Yoohyeon saw the sword pushed through Yong’s body, she tried to rush to her friend, but Jiu held her back. It wasn’t until the Demon Lord turned to dust that the knight let her friend rush to Yong’s side. Yoohyeon tries to use her magic to heal Yong. “Please let this work. Please don’t die, Yong!” Despite the tears blurring her vision, she can see her magic isn’t doing anything to help heal her childhood friend. She collapses on the squire, avoiding the sword still in the Warrior’s chest. “Please wake up.”

 ** _Use me_**. Yoohyeon lifts her head, looking around for the voice. She doesn’t see anyone near her as the others are too lost in their grief to move. Her eyes move back to Yong, only to land on the Demon Lord’s sword in her chest. **_That’s right. Use the sword. It’ll give you more than enough power to save her._** Reaching out, Yoohyeon grabs the sword’s hilt. As soon as her hand touches it, a red pillar of light launches into the sky.

“Yoohyeon!” Jiu screams, fighting against the General’s hold.

In the pillar of light, Yoohyeon feels the darkness enter her body, consuming her. She finds she doesn’t care as long as she can save Yong. Her mage’s garb changes, replaced by a black suit of armor. The red pillar of light sends a shockwave of energy out, slamming into the Life Tree. Yoohyeon, now emitting the same black smoke as the Demon Lord, kneels next to Yong. The sword has long since been pulled from the Warrior’s body.

“No,” Gahyeon whispers, watching Yoohyeon succumb to the darkness that they just thought they defeated.

“Yoohyeon,” Jiu sobs, collapsing from fighting against the general.

The group watches Yoohyeon place her hand on Yong’s chest. Smoke seeps from her hands and enters the Warrior’s chest. When she pulls her hand away, Yong gasps, coughing. She helps the squire sit up, shocking the Royal Army and their friends. The squire looks up at Yoohyeon, eyes widening at the change in her demeanor.

“Yoo,” the squire whispers, tears gathering in her eyes.

The mage smiles. “I saved you, Yong. You’re alive now. We can do this together,” Yoohyeon says, but Yong can tell her voice isn’t her own.

Shaking her head, Yong lets the tears fall. “Yoo…This isn’t you. You’re not a Demon.”

The smile drops to a frown. Anger fills the girl’s eyes. The voice that comes out is deeper than Yong’s ever heard come from her friend’s mouth. “Yoo is no more. I’m the Demon Queen and you’re alive because of me.” Her face contorts, eyes softening. “Yong, please help me.”

Hearing Yoohyeon’s voice, Yong grabs her hands. “Hang on, Yoo.”

The Demon Queen shoves the Warrior away. “You won’t join me…” She stands, black wing stretching from her back. “Then I’ll make sure you can’t join anyone else.” The Demon Queen looks to Jiu. She launches at the knight, slamming into her. The two of them fly across the battlefield, headed back towards the army’s camp. Yong grabs the Holy Sword with both hands. The touch sends a blinding white light to wrap around Yong. Her armor is fixed, and a pair of white wings appear on her back. She nods to her friends, launching after the Demon Queen and Jiu.

Jiu holds her own against the Demon Queen, deflecting the blows meant to kill her. “Yoohyeon, please! I know you’re in there. Please stop this!” Her words fall on deaf ears. She blocks the next attack, only for the Demon Queen to knock the sword from her hands. Knocking the knight to her knees, Jiu looks up at her friend. “Yoohyeon…”

The Warrior slams into the Demon Queen. When she saw Jiu get disarmed, she flew faster. With her body tumbling over the Demon Queen’s, she stabs the Holy Sword into the ground, stopping herself. She quickly gets up, finding the Demon Queen has already recovered. Upon seeing the Warrior’s glare, the Queen grins. “So, Warrior of Light…Have you reconsidered?”

Yong shakes her head, Holy Sword in front of her. “No. I’ve come to save my friend.”

The Demon Queen laughs. “The same friend that’s harbored romantic feelings for you…for years?”

Yong growls. “Don’t mock her feelings. I love Yoohyeon and I should’ve admitted it sooner. Perhaps we wouldn’t be in this situation.” She launches at the Demon Queen. “You don’t get to mock her feelings just because you’re in her body.” Jiu can only watch the fight from her spot on the ground.

The Demon Queen defends herself from Yong’s attacks, but her body isn’t used to close combat like Yong. This weakness allows Yong to disarm her in just a few short moves. She knows Jiu could’ve done the same, but Jiu doesn’t have to kill Yoohyeon to save her. The warrior kicks the Queen’s blade aside, pressing the tip of the Holy Sword to the Queen’s neck.

The Queen smirks. “You don’t have what it takes to kill the love of your life.”

Yong growls, pressing the tip so that it draws blood. “I’m not killing the love of my life.” She moves the blade to Yoohyeon’s chest. “I’ll be killing the monster that has her trapped.” Thrusting the blade forward, Yong pushes until it pierces Yoohyeon’s heart. The darkness is drawn away, reverting the mage back to her usual clothes. She looks up at Yong, who sobs and drops to her knees.

“Thank you, Yong,” Yoohyeon mutters, slowly wrapping her arms around Yong. “I knew…you could save me.”

Yong pulls back just enough to look at the mage. “I’m sorry, Yoohyeon. I’m so sorry. I’m so fu-”

Yoohyeon presses her lips to the squire. “You don’t have to…apologize, Yong. You saved me.” She coughs, blood on her lips. Her eyes droop. “I…love you...Yong…”

The squire sobs as the love of her life’s heart stop beating. She lets the tears fall for her childhood friend. “I love you too, Yoo…I’ll follow you.”

Jiu rushes to the duo, eyes widening when she sees the smoke start to emit from Yong. “Uhh,” she mumbles.

Yong glances behind her, noticing the smoke. She smiles sadly. “I guess the darkness is really gone.” She looks over at the Demon Queen’s blade. Pull herself from Yoohyeon’s form, she lays the girl’s body on the ground. Grabbing her Holy Sword, she swings it down, snapping the Demon Sword and Holy Sword in two. Black and White smoke swirl into the sky before disappearing. The white wings on Yong fade away. She collapses, coughing up her own blood. “I’m sorry, Jiu. Guess with it gone…It’s my time too.”

“Yong,” the knight mutters, hugging her friend. “I’ll miss you.”

“Me too, Jiu.” The Warrior coughs, weakly reaching for Yoohyeon’s hand.

Jiu helps the squire to lay next to the mage. She makes sure their hands are held as Yong’s chest stops rising. Tears cascade down the knight’s face. Behind her, Sua, Siyeon, Handong, Dami, and Gahyeon arrive to find their two friends dead. Sobs burst from Siyeon, surprising the group. She kneels next to Yong, crying over the one who saved her. Gahyeon and Dami kneel beside Yoohyeon, crying over her form. Sua sits beside Siyeon, comforting her. Lastly, Handong holds over Jiu, joining the knight in mourning the loss of the two.

“She knew she was gonna die,” Jiu mutters. “She knew killing Yoohyeon, killing the darkness, would kill her too.”

“I’ve never met anyone so selfless,” Sua whispers in reply.

“No one else could’ve been a better Warrior of Light,” Handong says, bowing in respect.

“Yoohyeon knew Yong could do it to save her,” Dami says, rubbing Gahyeon’s back in comfort.

“These idiots really loved each other,” Siyeon mutters. “Did they at least admit it finally?”

Jiu can’t help but laugh, only to immediately sob again. “Yeah.”

As the six friends cry over the two’s bodies, they watch the forms glow gold before they turn into glowing butterflies. The golden butterflies flap their wings, flying into the sky before disappearing from view. The six girls watch, awed at the beautiful, yet sad, sight. They bow their heads in respect for their friends before collecting themselves and facing the day. They’re not the only ones the mourn the Warrior and the Mage…as the rest of the army, who fought alongside them, mourn the two deaths.


	11. Epilogue

“Seriously, Jae, why did you drag me to this fansign? I don’t even know this group,” Seung-Yong, a girl of tall stature and questionable fashion sense, groans.

“You’ll like them, I swear, Yong. Their music is amazing…plus they’re all hot,” Yong’s idiot childhood friend, Jae, replies. Yong rolls her eyes, entering the venue despite her complaints. “So there’s Jiu, she’s the oldest and leader, but is totally a fake maknae. Then there’s Sua, she’s like this hot mom that cooks for them and likes to act sexy. Siyeon is the wolf of the group. She likes to howl at random times. She’s a libra like you. Her birthday is like two days before yours. Handong is the Chinese princess and I love her cause I lowkey think she’s savage as fuck.” As Jae tells her about the members, Yong listens, but can’t help but feel like she should know them. “Dami is the rapper. She has awesome hands, dude. Like I don’t even know how to describe them. The real maknae is Gahyeon. She’s just this little baby I want to protect. She’s definitely my bias.”

“I thought you said there are seven members,” Yong replies. “Jiu, Sua, Siyeon, Handong, Dami, and Gahyeon make six.”

“Were you not listening when I told you about Yoohyeon?” Jae asks. Once again, the girl zones out. _Yoohyeon? That name sounds so familiar, but I’ve never met these girls. Hell, I don’t even know what they look like._ “Earth to Yong, hello?” Jae waves his hand in front of his friend’s face. For a brief moment, she sees a flash of a figure. Their face is hidden by the glare of the sun behind them, but Yong can make out the light armor they wear.

Shaking her head clear, Yong scratches the back of her neck. “Sorry. Yoohyeon, got it.”

Jae looks at her with a glare, but when the line for the fansign moves, he quickly changes his expression. “I’M SO EXCITED, YONG!” He grabs her hands, jumping up and down. “Also, like all these female fans have asked the girls to marry them and they’re just like so supportive of us LGBTQ losers.” He points to himself and Yong, making the joke that they’re losers, as he always does.

“Excuse me? I happen to be a badass,” the older of the two replies.

Jae rolls his eyes. “I can literally google lesbian and you’ll pop up. Jeans, flannel, and a leather jacket. Really!?”

“Don’t bash my wardrobe. I’ll have you know that this has gotten me several girls numbers,” she retorts.

Jae scoffs. “Yeah? Was it my mom’s friend’s sewing club invitees?”

Behind them, another fan laughs, quickly bowing in apology while they cover their mouth to hide the laugh. Though doing so fails miserably. _We’re literally at the back of the line._ Yong glares at Jae. “I hate you. You’re an asshole.”

Instead of replying, Jae gasps, slapping his friend’s arm. “We’re almost there!” Rolling her eyes, Yong pulls out her phone, only to find none of the numbers have replied. _Bitches._ She puts the device away, looking up. The two of them are close enough to see the idols. Jae continues to excitedly slap Yong’s arms, despite her trying to stop him. Her eyes glare at him, not noticing the way one of the members looks at her.

The line gets shorter, allowing Jae to stare at the first member in line. He smiles at Handong, bowing to her. She gasps in surprise when he’s able to speak to her in Chinese. They have a brief conversation in Chinese before he has to move on to Sua. Yong smiles at Handong. “How are you?” she asks, speaking in Korean.

The Chinese girl smiles, responding the same. “I’m good. Are you enjoying this so far?”

Yong scratches her cheek. “Actually, Jae, my friend, brought me along. I’ve never been to a fansign before, so this is cool.”

Handong does this eye-smile thing that makes Yong pause. _This is familiar._ “Well I’m glad you’ve gotten to come to ours. Enjoy~.”

Nodding, Yong smiles back. “Thank you, Handong!” Jae moves on to Dami while Yong sits in front of Sua.

“Hi! Welcome!” Sua greets. “You said this is your first fansign?”

Yong smiles, getting infected with their energy. “Thanks!” She’s surprised the idol was listening to her conversation with Handong. “I’ve never had a chance to go to any fansign before.”

“Who’s your favorite group?” Sua asks.

Tapping her chin, Yong groans. “I don’t listen to a lot of kpop. So, I guess I’d have to say I love Ariana Grande. Especially 7 rings.”

Sua gasps. “Yoohyeonie and I did a dance cover of that at our last concert.” She winks. “You should watch it.”

Yong laughs. “Would you believe me if I said I did the same? I uploaded it to my Instagram a few weeks ago.”

Sua squeals. “I wanna see it!” She passes Yong a note pad. “What’s your Instagram?” Yong quickly writes the handle out. “I’m so watching this when we’re in the back.”

Chuckling, Yong bows. “Thank you, unnie.”

Jae moves on to talk with Jiu while Yong slides in front of Dami. Her eyes immediately catch the girl’s hands, making note that she can see why Jae had the reaction he did. “Hi, I’m Dami,” the idol greets, taking Yong’s hands. “Your friend said you’ve never been to a fansign.”

Yong glares at her friend, using one hand to punch him. He looks at her in alarm, causing both Dami and Jiu to laugh. “Why’d you hit me?!”

“Don’t be telling them my business!”

“I ran out of things to talk about!” Jae defends. “Besides! Dami is too cool for me to think straight!”

Yong rolls her eyes. “You have to be straight to think straight,” she mutters, causing Dami and Jiu to laugh again.

“Takes one to know one!” Jae retorts, slapping Yong’s arm.

Turning her attention back to Dami, Yong smiles. “Ignore him. He’s just too busy fanboying over you to realize that you’re cool to talk to.”

A light blush covers Dami’s cheeks. “Thank you…”

“Seung-Yong, but you can just call me Yong. All my friends do,” the older of the two replies in greeting.

“Well, thank you for your kind words, Yong-unnie.”

Chuckling, Yong shakes her head. “Just Yong is fine.” Surprise crosses the idol’s face. She blushes, nodding. Yong moves to the seat in front of Jiu as Jae talks with Yoohyeon.

“Seung-Yong~,” Jiu greets.

“Just Yong to you too, Jiu-unnie,” Yong replies.

“Okay,” Jiu replies. “So, you attend university with Jae?”

Yong nods. “He’s a computer science major and I’m majoring in dance.”

“YOU DIDN’T TELL ME YOU’RE MAJORING IN DANCE, YONG!” Sua shouts from her seat. Luckily, there isn’t a fan in front of her. Unluckily, Dami goes deaf in that ear. The younger idol jerks away, covering her ear as she glares at her unnie.

Yong laughs, playfully making finger hearts at the dancer. “Sorry, unnie!” She looks back at Jiu, who covers her laugh. “So yeah, we’re in college.”

“Last year?”

Yong nods. “Yup. I’m actually graduating in a month, but Jae has to go another few months.”

“Woow, congratulations,” Jiu replies, pausing. She frowns, but it only lasts a second before she smiles again. “You know, Yong, you seem really familiar. We haven’t met before…have we?”

Tilting her head, Yong thinks back. “Hmmm. You’re familiar too, unnie. Actually, everyone so far has been familiar, but I’m pretty sure I’ve never met any of you before.”

Jiu nods, noticing her time with Yong is up. “That’s what I thought too. Anyway, I’m glad you came with Jae to see us!”

Nodding, Yong grins. “I’m glad I came too.”

Jae slides over to the Gahyeon’s fan seat, allowing Yong to take the seat in front of Yoohyeon. As soon as she looks up, the image from before flashes in her head. She reaches up, eyes closed as she winces. Beside her, Jae turns to her in concern. “Yong? Yong, are you okay?” He rests his hand on her shoulder, concern lacing his voice.

“Is she okay?” Yoohyeon asks.

Yong gets more flashes, but of the other members. There’s Gahyeon mixing potions together and tossing them at… _goblins?_ Dami stands with Gahyeon, firing arrows at her targets. _Wow, she’s really good at archery._ Siyeon and Sua are next. The former shifts into a wolf and attacks the new enemies while Sua uses her magic to seduce the bandits attacking them. Handong appears in the vision next with Jiu beside her. The Chinese princess is in shiny armor that Yong can tell must be royalty. She stands next to Jiu, who dons heavy knight armor. The two fight against demons in a different vision from the others. Lastly, there’s Yoohyeon kneeling beside a body. Upon seeing who the body is, Yong gasps, heard by the members of Dreamcatcher. There, lying in a pool of blood, is Yong in a suit of armor similar to Jiu’s, but less bulky. _What the fuck?_ Yong sees Yoohyeon grab her dead form’s hand as a warmth spreads through her own hand. She looks down, only to snap back into the present.

“Yong?” Jae questions, but she doesn’t hear him as her eyes take notice of the hand holding her own.

“Jae, what’s wrong with her? Does she an ambulance?” Jiu asks in worry.

Yong shakes her head, focusing on the hand holding her own. She looks at Yoohyeon, who stares at her with concern and a hint of confusion. Opening her mouth, Yong tries to reply, but feels her throat tighten up. She closes her mouth, clearing it. This works, allowing her to speak up. “I, uh…I’m fine, just got dizzy,” she replies, avoiding Yoohyeon’s gaze. _It’s like she knows I’m lying, but that…isn’t possible right?_ She glances back at the singer, who still has that knowing look in her expression.

“Are you really okay, Yong?” Jiu asks, pulling the girl’s attention away from her member. She reaches over, holding the girl’s other hand.

Nodding, Yong smiles softly, glancing at her hands. _They don’t even know me and care so much._ “Yeah. I’m okay. Thank you, Jiu-unnie.”

The staff hurry along the line now that Yong has admitted to feeling better. Jiu lets go of her hand, but Yoohyeon holds tighter. When their eyes meet, Yong can see the glossy sheen over her eyes. _She looks like she’s going to cry_. “You’ll come again, won’t you?”

Something causes Yong’s heart to clench. She knows it isn’t actually clenched but seeing Yoohyeon about to cry… _I don’t like seeing her crying or anything but happy._ Squeezing the singer’s hand, Yong nods with a smile. “I promise next fansign…I’ll be there.”

“Me too!” Jae shouts right next to Yong’s ear, breaking the singer and his friend out of their moment.

“Jae!” Yong shouts back at him, pulling her hands from Yoohyeon’s to cover her ear in pain. “You asshole!” Glancing back at Yoohyeon, Yong winks before taking off after her friend. She looks back over her shoulder. “Sorry, Gahyeonie! I promise we’ll talk next time!”

The statement and actions of the two make Dreamcatcher, and their fans, laugh at the two’s antics. There’s only one that finds the two to remind her of something, but she can’t think what it is. Her leader, however, notices the sour look on her face. “What’s wrong, Yoohyeon?”

Looking at Jiu, she sighs, shaking her head. “I don’t know, but…I think I’m jealous of their friendship,” she admits so only the leader can hear. “Like…I really feel like I’ve known her my whole life.”

Jiu hugs the singer. “I feel the same…like she’s important to me. She admitted she felt like she knew me too, but we’ve never met.” Neither of them notice Handong listening with a thoughtful expression.


End file.
